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(NoModeL) 5 5 S.BEOKETT.

' BUST AND SHOULDER SUPBORTBR Patented Apr. 7-, 1896; 1 2. 2y;

ANDREW B GRAHAMJHOTO UTHO WASHINGTONDC I UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

SUSAN BECKETT, OF RUBY VILLE, NEIV SOUTH WALES.

BUST AND SHOULDER SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,945, dated April 7, 1896 Application filed October 3, 1895. Serial No. 564,518. (No model.) Patented in New South Wales November 16, 1893,No. 4,734; in Victoria November 21, 1898, No. 10,982, and in England May 21,1894,N0.9,885.

To all whom itmay concern.-

Be it known that I, SUSAN BECKETT, a sub ject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Rubyville, Nowranie Street, Summer Hill, near Sydney, in the British Colony of New South \Vales, have invented a new and useful invention entitled an Improved Combined Bust and Shoulder Supporter, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in the respective British Colonies of New South Wales, dated November 16, 1893, No. 4:,734, and Victoria, dated November 21,1893, No. 10,982, and in Great Britain, dated May 21, 1894, No. 9,885,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined bust and shoulder supporter, and has for its object to provide a supporter adapted to be worn in place of corsets and operating to hold up and form a support for the bust, and also operating to expand the chest andhold the shoulders square, while at the same time allowing the utmost freedom to the organs and muscles of the body and affording room for deep respirations and for a vigorous action of the heart.

To these ends my invention consists in the features and in the construction or arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims following the description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved combined bust and shoulder supporter; and Figs. 2 and 3 are a front and rear view, respectively, illustrating the device applied to the person of the wearer.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A indicates a band, preferably made of considerable width and adapted to be passed around the body under the arms of the wearer. The band is made in two parts laced together at their rear meeting ends, and the front ends are respectively provided with buttons and buttonholes, as at d, to permit of said ends being detachably fastened together. The back part of said band is corded and stiffened in a well-known manner, and inserted in each end of the band is a piece of fabric B, forming pockets to support the bust. To each breast-support B is attached one end of a band C, the other ends of said bands meeting and are attached to a Waistband or belt D, that is adapted to be passed around the waist of the wearer and fastened at the front or side by a buckle D. The front ends of the shoulder bands or braces C are provided with eyelet-holes g, that are adapted to engage hooks on the breast-supporters B, whereby the breast-supporters may be adjusted to suit the form of each individual wearer. To the back of the shoulder bands or braces O are attached two straps I), provided at their free ends with eyelet-holes which can be adjustably engaged with hooks h, secured to the band A and operating to expand the chest and square the shoulders.

On the waistband at the back, Where the shoulder-braces meet and where said band is stifiened and corded, thus afiording a support for the spine, are attached two hooks c c, from which may be suspended the skirt and lower habiliments, so that the weight will be supported by the shoulders, and additional hooks may, if desired, be attached to other convenient points of the waistband for the same purpose. To the bottom of the breast supporters are attached two straps on a, each of which is provided at its free end with a series of eyelet-holes, by means of which said ends are adj ustably connected to hooks f, secured to the waistband D, and thus keep the breast-supporters and shoulder-braces in their proper positions.

The operation of my improved bust-supporter and shoulder-brace will be readily understood.

The belt D is buckled about the waist of the wearer, and the band A, having first been adjusted to the proper size, is buttoned about the person beneath the shoulders. The sho ulder-braces O are next passed over the shoulders and are hooked to the breast-supporters B in the manner before described. The ends of the straps a and b are adj ustably connected to their respective hooks and after having once been-properly adjusted to the figure of the wearer need not again be disturbed.

By means of the diiferent adjustments described the article may be adjusted to a nicety to the figure of any wearer, and when adjusted the breast-supporters will hold up and support the breasts, while at the same time the shoulder-braces will hold the figure erect and the shoulders square, the entire device affording ease and comfort to the wearer and permitting perfect freedom of action of the muscles and internal organs in performing their functions.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a combined bust and shoulder supporter, the combination with an adjustable waistband A adapted to be fastened about the body underneath the shoulders and provided at its front meeting ends with pockets B for supporting the breasts, of a waistband D adapted to be fastened about the Waist, shoulder-braces 0 meeting at their rear ends and secured to the center of the waistband D at its rear and adapted to pass over the shoulders and provided with means for adjustably attaching their free ends to the breast-supports, and straps a attached to the lower portions of said breast-supports and adjustably attached to the waistband, substantially as described.

2. In a combined bust and shoulder supporter, the combination with an adjustable waistband A adapted to be fastened about the body beneath the shoulders and provided at its front meeting ends with pockets B for supporting the breasts, of a waistband D adapted to be fastened about the waist, shoulderbraces 0 meeting at their rear ends and secured to the center of the waistband D at its rear and adapted to pass over the shoulders and provided with means for adjustably attachin g their free ends to the breast-supports, straps a attached to the lower portions of said breast-supports and adjustably attached to the waistband, and straps I) attached at their upper ends to the shoulder-braces O and at their lower ends adjustably attached to the waistband D, substantially as described.

Dated this 30th day of August, 1895.

SUSAN BECKETT. Witnesses:

FRED WALsH, THOMAS J AMES WARD. 

